Got Nature? Blog

In acknowledging National Wildlife Week, #nationalwildlifeweek, it seems fitting to place this post regarding several concerned questions that we receive on coyotes. As Spring is just around the corner many urban residents are getting ready for the return of many birds, mammals and amphibians. While folks are quick to recognize the call of spring peepers, or the song of robins, they are surprised to know other types of critters can call their backyard home, or at least visit on occasion. One animal that is getting a lot more attention in recent years is the coyote.

Coyotes are actually native to Indiana, although their historical distribution is much smaller in the state than it is today. Their range expansion is simply the result of their adaptability. Things we have done to the broader landscape combined with less competing animals has opened up new resources to coyotes. You may tend to think that urban landscapes offer little for wildlife species and don’t offer the quality of rural or more “natural” areas. Perhaps surprising to many, urban environments can often support larger densities of wildlife presumably because of increased food resources and lower trapping or hunting pressure. For coyotes, studies have shown that urban coyotes tend to focus activities in natural habitats within the urban landscape. They will still use more well-developed areas and the extent of which varies among animals; however, coyotes will often shift their behavior to avoid human activity.

Coyotes are considered to be a nuisance or even a safety threat by some. They are probably one of the few animals that homeowners want removed simply by seeing them in their yard. However, these fears are rarely justified. Diet studies of urban coyotes indicate they eat primarily rodents and rabbits. Coyote predation may actually help reduce conflicts with other species of wildlife. As a primary predator of Canada goose nests they may limit population growth in urban environments. Similarly, coyotes may do the same for white-tailed deer populations through fawn predation.

Fear of coyotes is derived largely of perceived threats to pets or people. Coyotes have been documented to attack people, but only rarely. Habituation to humans seems to play a role but it is also unclear how other factors contribute to these attacks. For example, the age or social status of the offending coyote and the intentional feeding by humans preceding the attack may play roles. Moreover, not all attacks are the same. Coyotes may attack out of defense, because of disease (e.g., rabies), or other reasons.

The threat to pets, particularly cats or small dogs, is much more real. Coyotes are known predators of cats. In urban areas, predation of cats is slightly higher than in rural areas, although cats still make up only about one percent or less of their diet according to studies. Cat predation may be ecologically beneficial given the impact free ranging cats have on our native wildlife. Attacks on dogs are less common but do occur and are most frequent during the coyote breeding season, December through February. Small dogs are at most risk but larger breeds may be attacked by a pair or family group.

While these facts on coyote behavior may alarm some, the truth is these are all extremely rare cases. Coyotes are around many of us every day and we aren’t even aware of their presence. Coyotes are native to Indiana and can help control populations of other wildlife species that cause more widespread conflicts and property damage. However, there are a few common-sense steps we can do to avoid conflicts with urban coyotes. The most important is to never intentionally feed coyotes or other animals. They don’t need it. Intentional feeding can contribute to coyote’s habitation to people, which is believed to be a contributing factor to attacks. Some also recommend scaring off coyotes you see in the yard by banging pots and pans or similar actions. However, this may cause a defensive response in some animals and it not advisable.

Resources:
Coyotes, IN DNR
Coyotes (PDF), Wildlife Conflicts, Department of Entomology, Purdue University
Should I Be Worried About Coyotes in My Yard?, Purdue Extension – Forestry & Natural Resources (FNR) Got Nature? Blog
Coexisting With Coyotes, Wild Bulletin, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish and Wildlife
Ask the Expert: Coexisting with Coyotes , Purdue Extension – FNR Got Nature? Blog
Urban Coyotes – Should You Be Concerned?, Purdue Extension – FNR Got Nature? Blog
Pets Disappearing? The Cause May Be Coyotes, Purdue Extension – FNR Got Nature? Blog
Question: Which is the correct species of coyotes I have on my land here in Indiana, coyote or coywolf?, Purdue Extension – FNR Got Nature? Blog
Permitted Wildlife Rehabilitators, Indiana Department of Natural Resources
How do you eliminate a nuisance animal on your property?, Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IN DNR)-Fish and Wildlife
Urban Coyote Research Center, Urban Coyote Ecology & Management, Cook County, Illinois
Wildlife Damage, Purdue Extension-Department of Forestry and Natural Resources
Preventing Wildlife Damage – Do You Need a Permit?, The Education Store, Purdue Extension
Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management (ICWDM), University of Wisconsin

Brian MacGowan, Extension Wildlife Specialist
Department of Forestry & Natural Resources, Purdue University

---

The Hellbender is a giant, aquatic salamander that has experienced severe population declines throughout its range. It is a sensitive species and there are a number of factors contributing to its declines. To help address the varied threats facing the Hellbender, Help the Hellbender has produced several new products focused on educating both stakeholders and the general public on ways that they can help protect hellbenders.

Help the Hellbender has updated our brochure on hellbender biology and created a series of videos focused and hellbender threats and the relevant stakeholders. The updated brochure expands on the previous edition by including updated information on hellbender biology and the many projects that groups around the country are involved in to help protect hellbenders. Our video series builds off of information in our brochure. The first in this series focuses on the basics of Hellbender population declines. Subsequent videos address practices aimed at improving water quality by implementing conservation practices at farms, livestock operations, and around sinkholes, and also how recreationists can avoid harming Hellbenders.

We have also published two lesson plans targeted at educators of K-5 students. Both lessons contain numerous activities to help keep students engaged while learning about hellbenders and the science of water quality and conservation. Hellbenders Rock! focuses on basic Hellbender biology and the threats that Hellbenders face. Hellbenders Rock! can be combined with the recently published Hellbender Havoc video game to further engage students in learning about hellbender biology and the importance of water quality. Hellbender Havoc is a free app available for download from iTunes and the Google Play Store. The Healthy Water, Happy Home lesson plan focuses on the importance of water quality and how it relates to people and wildlife. Both lesson plans meet Indiana academic standards.

All of our resources are free and can be found at The Education Store, the Purdue Extension resource center. The links are available below. For more information about Eastern Hellbenders and how you can help, please visit helpthehellbender.org.

Resources:
Publications
Healthy Water, Happy Home Lesson Plan – The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center
Hellbenders Rocks! Lesson Plan – The Education Store
Help the Hellbender, North America’s Giant Salamander – The Education Store

Video Games:
Hellbender Havoc – Google Play
Healthy Water, Happy Home Board Game – The Education Store

Videos:
Hellbender Decline – Help the Hellbender, Youtube
How Anglers and Paddlers Can Help the Hellbender – The Education Store
Hellbender ID  – YouTube
Improving Water Quality Around Your Farm – The Education Store
Improving Water Quality at Your Livestock Operation – The Education Store
Improving Water Quality by Protecting Sinkholes on Your Property – The Education Store

Nick Burgmeier, Research Biologist & Extension Wildlife Specialist
Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

---

Issue:

Woodlands provide a multitude of environmental (e.g., carbon sequestration, enhance water quality, wildlife habitat), economic (e.g., timber, wood products manufacturing, tourism), and social (e.g., recreation, aesthetics) benefits to Indiana residents. The sustainability of these benefits is strongly tied to stability of the resource. In Indiana, 75 percent of the 4.65 million acres of forestland is owned by families. Actions they take on their property can impact the benefits woodlands provide all Indiana residents. However, many do not understand available options or sources of assistance.

What Has Been Done:

The Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, in partnership with many other organizations, helps produce and mail over 31,000 copies of the Indiana Woodland Steward to woodland owners three times each year. This 16-page, two-color publication includes in-depth articles on forest stewardship and health, invasive species and pests, wildlife habitat management, economics, and more.

Results:

Subscribers owned more woods (71.6 ac) for a longer tenure (33 years) than the average woodland owner in Indiana based on data from the National Woodland Owner Survey. As a group, they were also more active managers based on the proportion enrolled in assistance programs and who had a written stewardship plan. Fifty-four percent regularly utilized information from the Woodland Steward. In addition, 51 percent of respondents have implemented at least one practice they read about from The Woodland Steward, potentially impacting an estimated 1.2 million acres of forestland. His use of print media to communicate with woodland owners could be considered expensive, but clearly a large number of woodland owners regularly read and utilize the information making the average investment per landowner much lower.

---

When biologists and land managers talk about managing native warm-season grasses (NWSG) they are really talking about managing early-successional plant communities. Early-successional vegetation (i.e., stands of annual or perennial grasses and forbs [broadleaf plants]) provide benefits for a variety of game and non-game wildlife species. Songbirds, northern bobwhite, and ring-necked pheasants use these areas to build nests and raise broods in the summer and for escape and thermal cover in the winter. White-tailed deer also use these areas heavily for bedding, to hide fawns from predators, and the forbs provide deer with excellent nutrition during the summer.

 

However, as these stands age their value to most wildlife species decreases drastically! Most stands of planted NWSG have little value, for species such as bobwhite, within 3-5 years of establishment. As the stands age, the tall perennial NWSGs (big bluestem and Indiangrass) become thicker; eventually crowding out all the forbs in the stand and creating a monoculture of grass. In the winter, the grasses fall over or “lodge”, as in the picture, and provide little to no cover.

 

 

 

This is why programs such as the Conservation Reserve Program require Mid-Contract Management (MCM) during years 4, 5, or 6 of the contract. MCM is aimed at maintaining or enhancing the wildlife value of NWSG stands by thinning the NWSGs providing room for planted and volunteering forbs to grow. These forbs act as supports for the grasses, helping them stand tall all winter, attract pollinators and insects important to foraging songbirds and game birds in the summer, and provide seed throughout the winter. Additionally, thinning the grasses and providing more room for weeds or forbs to grow will make it easier for ground dwelling wildlife to move and forage.

 

If your stand of NWSGs looks like the picture above, the time to manage them is not now but 2 years ago! However, managing them now can be effective and you have some options!

For most early successional wildlife species, you want the field to be from a 50/50 to 70/30 percent mix of forbs and grasses (favoring forbs). The field should be split into portions and managed on successive years. For larger fields, split the field into 4-5 acres sections. If you have multiple fields on your property you can manage the whole field. The key is to ensure that some cover is left on your farm throughout the winter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

September – March

Step 1. Burn or mow a portion of the field.
Step 2. Disk the same portion within a few weeks of burning or mowing the field.
By burning or mowing the field prior to disking, you make it easier for the disk to cut into the soil. The field should be disked so that a majority of the plant debris is worked into the soil and the soil is exposed.
Disking from September through March will result in a more beneficial plant composition than disking in the spring or summer.

May – June or August – September

Step 1. Just after winter and prior to spring green-up (late March or early April) the field should be burned to prepare the field for management. This step is not necessary but can improve the herbicide application. If applying herbicide in Aug-Sep, mowing or burning the field 2-3 weeks prior to application can be beneficial.
Step 2. Apply 2 quarts/acre of glyphosate OR 24 ounces/acre of imazapyr (53% active ingredient) to the field or portions of the field where native grasses are extremely thick.
NOTE: Spot spraying problematic areas are always better than whole field applications, but sometimes whole field applications are warranted.
CAUTION: Imazapyr can harm desirable trees; avoid spraying imazapyr within the drip line of desirable trees.

These management options will reduce or “thin” the native grasses enough to provide forbs from the seed bank with room to grow! The field may look “messy” or “weedy” the first summer or two after application but that’s okay! Actually, it’s what you want! Most of the “weeds” that come from the seed bank provide excellent cover and food for a variety of wildlife species. Just be sure to control undesirable weeds such as Canada thistle, if they appear.

For more information on how to manage NWSG or other early successional vegetation, contact your local IN-DNR wildlife biologist or NRCS office.

Additional Resources:
Herbicides to reduce NWSG density, SEAFWA
Landowner’s guide to NWSG management, TRACE
Quail Habitat – Putting the Numbers in Perspective, The Education Store
Control of Canada Thistle in CRP and Other Noncrop Acreage, The Education Store

Jarred Brooke, Extension Wildlife Specialist;
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

---

Videos:
Ask an Expert: Anurans (Frogs and Toads)
Ask an Expert: Salamanders
A Moment in the Wild: Wood Frogs
A Moment in the Wild: American Toad
A Moment in the Wild YouTube Playlist-Subscribe
Reptiles, Amphibians & the Scientific Method
Learn All About Hellbenders and Take a Tour

---

By signing up for the Indiana nongame email list, you’ll get updates on endangered species status, new projects and updates on existing projects including barn owls, bats, turtles, mussels, and countless other species. You can unsubscribe at any time, no risk, just great info right to your mailbox.

Subscribe Today!

Resources:
Nongame & Endangered Wildlife, Indiana Department of Natural Resources  (IDNR)
Promote Conservation Through an Effective Campaign, The Education Store
Assessing Your Land’s Potential for Wildlife, The Education Store
A Landowner’s Guide to Sustainable Forestry: Part 4: Conserving Nature, The Education Store
Developing a Wildlife Habitat Management Plan, The Education Store

Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR)

---

This new lesson plan from The Nature of Teaching titled Hellbenders Rock! is full of engaging activities to teach K-5 students about the endangered eastern hellbender, while meeting Indiana academic standards. Hellbenders Rock is available as a free download in The Education Store, complete with instructional PowerPoint, videos, vocabulary worksheets, along with instructions on how to download the free Hellbender Havoc app.

This lesson is unique in the way that it requires teachers to download the free Hellbender Havoc app from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store to help students apply the educational content learned throughout the lesson. The lesson requires 60 minutes of class time to complete, including time for the students to play the app and complete the worksheets that accompany it. Throughout the lesson, students learn how to identify the eastern hellbender, how to describe the hellbender’s lifecycle, how the hellbender relates to healthy water quality, and how we can help the hellbender.

To find more nature-themed lesson plans that incorporate academic standards and teach material in hands-on and engaging ways, visit The Nature of Teaching website. All lesson plans are free to download. To learn more about the eastern hellbender and how we can help, visit HelpTheHellbender.org.

Resources:
Hellbenders Rock! Lesson Plan, The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center
The Nature of Teaching, Purdue Extension
Help the Hellbender, Purdue Extension
Hellbender Havoc App-Purdue Envision PC or Hellbender Havoc-Apple App Store

Rebecca Busse, Graduate Student
Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

Rod Williams, Associate Professor of Wildlife Science
Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

---

People can be taken aback by the sight of squirrels missing hair. Sightings of partially furred squirrels is not unusual with warmer temperatures experienced through the winter. Like many wildlife issues, the cause of hair loss in squirrels is not easy to answer and often results in more questions than answers. In most situations, hair loss does not impact populations of squirrels. However, individuals may be impacted during winter.

Most people assume, often incorrectly, that hair loss in squirrels is the result of mange, a disease caused by microscopic mites that burrow into the skin and are unseen by the naked eye. Hair loss attributed to the squirrel mange mite, Notoedres douglasi, has been reported in both fox and gray squirrels. Notoedric mange is different from sarcoptic mange. The latter, caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei, occurs primarily among red foxes and coyotes. Questions exist regarding the host specificity of mange mites. In light of new evidence, some pathologists now believe that sarcoptic mange mites are not as host-specific as previously thought. However, notoedric mange mites appear to be more host-specific, and don’t colonize non-hosts (like humans), although a few bites may occur. Transmission of notoedric mange to species other than squirrels has not been documented, including to canine and feline pets.

Symptoms of notoedric mange in squirrels includes loss of hair and dry, thickened and dark skin. Crust does not form on the skin in notoedric mange in squirrels like it does in sarcoptic mange in red fox. Mange is most commonly spread by direct animal to animal contact. Treatment of adult squirrels with mange is generally not recommended because reinfection from their nest is likely. An adult squirrel can survive mange if in otherwise good condition. While mange can be fatal to squirrels as a result of exposure during the winter, full recovery is often observed in squirrels.

While mange is commonly presumed to be the culprit, most hair loss in squirrels is caused by a variety of superficial fungal diseases generally termed dermatophytoses. Hair from squirrels infected with fungal agents is typically broken off at the skin, leaving a fine stubble of short hairs. Damp weather is thought to play a role in some fungal outbreaks. This past autumn was relatively wet for Indiana standards and may have contributed to the apparent observed increase of hair loss in squirrels this winter. Most animals will eventually gain an immune response and recover from the fungal infection without any apparent consequences.

Some hair loss in gray and flying squirrels is thought to be an inherited condition where the hair follicles are non-functional or absent, although studies confirming this have not been done. These squirrels have normal, but bare skin.

The next time you see a squirrel with hair loss, don’t become alarmed. In most cases, the hair will return with no apparent ill affects to the squirrel, other than perhaps some embarrassment and name calling among his squirrel friends.

Resources:
Indiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory
Indiana DNR Permitted Wildlife Rehabilitators, Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IN DNR)-Fish & Wildlife
Orphaned Wildlife, Got Nature? blog
Orphaned & Injured Animals, Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR)

Brian MacGowan, Wildlife Extension Specialist
Purdue University, Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

---

Bovine tuberculosis (bovine Tb) is an on-going issue in Indiana’s wild white-tailed deer herd. Bovine Tb was first discovered in wild deer in Indiana in August 2016 near a bovine Tb positive cattle farm in Franklin County. Since August 2017, Indiana Department of Natural Resources and the Board of Animal Health have been monitoring and managing the bovine Tb situation. A second cattle farm in Franklin County tested positive for bovine Tb in December 2016, but no hunter harvested deer have tested positive for bovine Tb during the 2016 deer season. The IDNR will continue to monitor and manage the bovine Tb situation according to a departmental management plan. View the following web page to find more information, Bovine Tb in Wild White-Tailed Deer: Background and Frequently Asked Questions.

Resources:
How to Score Your White-tailed Deer, video, The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center
White-Tailed Deer Post Harvest Collection, video, The Education Store
Age Determination in White-tailed Deer, video, The Education Store
How to Build a Plastic Mesh Deer Exclusion Fence, The Education Store
Bovine Tuberculosis in Wild White-tailed Deer, The Education Store
Indiana Deer Hunting, Biology and Management, and Safe Food Handling and Preparation, IDNR

Jarred Brooke, Wildlife Extension Specialist
Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

---

You’ve heard about all the traditional careers. But what about being an outdoor scientist? Introducing the world to The Familiar Faces Project which shares careers in fisheries, aquatic sciences, forestry, wildlife and sustainable biomaterials. This video will show by example what it’s like to be an outdoor scientist, walking you through a typical work day of Megan Gunn. For more information about The Familiar Faces Project, contact thefamiliarfacesproject@gmail.com.

Resources:
Aquatic Ecology Research Lab, Forestry and Natural Resources

Megan Gunn, Aquatic Ecology Research Scientist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

---